Our Buddhism class today and the trip to the pagoda highlighted major differences in philosophy between eastern and western religions. It seemed like the religion emphasizes being satisfied with what you have. The strict followers are also supposed to let go of all relationships and possessions in order to reach peace and be reborn in good circumstances. I felt quite critical of Buddhism while they explained the main beliefs. Firstly, the process of adhering to the philosophy seems to put a massive emphasis on one’s self, almost forgetting your obligation to family and friends around you. The pagoda emphasized how this religion is a personal journey. It lacked any gathering rooms, preferring small rooms where the person praying is close to the statues and carvings. Also, I feel like it’s engrained in western society to never be satisfied with what you have or your economic/social status in life. I want to work hard to earn a better life. This belief system almost encourages working just enough to maintain the lucky or unlucky position you were born into. However, I still maintain a massive quantity of respect for those who work hard to live according to the Buddhist belief system. I’ve only been taught the philosophy at an extremely basic level so I’m sure there’s many positives for me to learn about the impacts of Buddhism.

We then visited the war remnants museum. Seeing the horrors committed by Americans during the Vietnam war was hard to stomach. The museum showed the war crimes using pictures sourced from international journalists. In particular, the long term effects of Agent Orange on Vietnamese children will leave a lasting impression on me. Visiting this museum highlighted the brutality of war. And as the tour guide said, “War had no winners, only losers. “